At Odds
by a child1
Summary: permanent hiatus, until somebody tells me this story doesn't suck
1. The Common Room

Chapter 1: The Common Room  
  
It was late at night and most everyone was asleep in Gryffindor. The stars outside twinkled and they cast a fine line of light onto the falling snow. "It's so beautiful," Lily whispered, placing her hand on the glass on the window. She was curled up a window seat, the new fleece blanket she had gotten yesterday for Christmas curled around her feet. "It's just so picturesque." She sighed and slowly climbed down from her perch and made her way over to the couch and picked up a book she had to finish for Divination Class before Winter Break ended. Groaning she picked up the immense book and plopped into the over-stuffed coach. Before she could even open the book her eyes were closed and breaths became more even.  
  
"Peter?" James whispered, trying to jostle his best friend, Peter, awake, "Are you awake?" Peter groaned and rolled over. "What is it?" Peter whispered back. "I can't get to sleep," James replied. "Oh, and just thought that you would try to inflict me with the same problem? I don't think so, go wake up Sirius." Peter rolled back over and soon was back in dream-land. James climbed over to the other side of his bed and opened the curtains surrounding Sirius' bed. "Hey, Sirius, are you up?" Sirius didn't reply. From across the room a voice said sleepily, "Go back to sleep." Sorry guys, James thought, sleep isn't coming to me quite yet. Silently he tip-toed towards the door to go downstairs to the Common Room, the door creaked. James cringed and froze for a few painstakingly long seconds, nothing else happened. Once he got the door wide enough for him to squeeze through, well, he squeezed through. Downstairs he pointed his wand at the fire, said a little Latin spell and in seconds a beautiful fire was blazing. James smiled and walked over to his favorite armchair, to the left of the fireplace. Curling up in it he gazed around the Gryffindor common-room, which he had come to know quite well over the past three years. He loved the coziness of it and how it always was somewhere to go. His eyes glanced over the couch to his right, and noticed a dark figured curled up on it. "What?" James whispered in surprise. He leaned closer and saw the lines of a pale cheek bone and a shoulder covered in a blanket. It was Lily Evans, a girl he did not know and had never cared to get to know. His friends told story of how she was a Muggle-born and preferred tea-cups to wands. A disgrace to the Gryffindor house, his friends said, and should never have been allowed to attend this prestigious home of wonderful wizards. She stirred and her face moved into a slight beam of light from the window. She really was pretty; her shock of bright red hair didn't do much for her appearance, though. "Her eyes are so blue," he said aloud, a little too loudly for Lily groaned and, rubbing her eyes, sat up. It took Lily a second to focus on her surroundings, when she did she noticed the despicable James gazing at her. Where was she? It all came flashing back to her; she had come downstairs to get some reading done and had apparently fallen asleep. "What are you doing here?" she said sleepily in his direction. "Well, my two best friends didn't want to go anywhere so I came down here and started a fire. What are you doing down here?" he replied, a faint smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "I came down here to work on reading the Divinity book but fell asleep to soon." There was an awkward silence after that. What were they doing? She wondered. They had both hated each other since the first day they had arrived here. He was a precocious brat who grew up in a large mansion that fit his ego and she didn't know why he hated her and did not want to. He turned his head towards the window that framed the soft snowflakes outside. "It's so beautiful," he said and got up to walk over to the window. "That's partly the reason I couldn't get to sleep, you know. I felt like I would be missing out on something." Another pause, "I guess I was right," he smiled, turning in Lily's direction. Her face blushed uncertainly, she was glad for the darkness between them. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?" she asked laughingly and slowly stood up. "Yes?" he said. He did NOT have a good touch with the girls. "Because if it was it was really sweet, but I'm really sleepy so I'm going up to bed now. Good night." With that she turned around and walked up the winding staircase. James heard a door open and close. He couldn't believe himself, sending sparks out like that. Such words should not be wasted on a girl his friends did not approve of.  
  
In bed Lily grinned. She had never intended to even think of James as a suitor, but it felt kind of nice, all tingly inside. 


	2. Nothing Changes

A/N: This chapter is rather a dud, it has some nice writing but I don't think it's needed, I have writers block! Aaaahhhh! Please review!  
  
Chapter 2: Nothing Changes  
  
The next day Lily was so sound asleep that her friends had to practically shake her awake. "What?" she grumbled and threw one of her many pillows in the general direction of her disturbers. "I must sleep." and started to softly snore again.  
  
"What will we do with her?" her best friend, Josi, exclaimed. "Breakfast is in ten minutes and it takes at least twenty to comb her tangle of a hair. Come on, prop her up." The other six Gryffindor third-years slowly moved the body of Lily up into a sitting position. "Man, how late did you stay up?" Josi whispered silently. "Wake up!" she said in a louder tone. "We have NO time to spare, you have ten minutes to get dressed and down to breakfast." That gave Lily quite a shock; her eyes popped open and she gave a quick gasp.  
  
"Ten minutes?!?" she exclaimed and quickly jumped out of bed. Scrambling, she hurriedly shoved the Hogwarts uniform and grabbed a large brush out of the waiting hand of Elizabeth. "Why didn't you guys wake me before?!?" she shrieked, her voice unusually high-pitched.  
  
"Man, I'm sorry," Josi said, shocked at her friends' panic. "But I don't think you have to freak out about it this much."  
  
"Freak out!? Freak out?! I'm not freaking out, oh no, I'm just panicking and wishing that I had woken up an hour ago. Great friends you all are."  
  
"Well, excuse me, we tried waking you but you wouldn't budge." There was a moment of silence and everybody stood still.  
  
Lily sighed and slowly lowered her head. In a calmer voice she said, "I know, I'm sorry about that. I don't know, I just want to look nice at breakfast and I guess I got a little freaked out."  
  
"A little?" a voice laughed from behind Miranda.  
  
"More than a little, Lisa," Lily laughed. "Okay, I'm ready. Shall we head out?" All six girls smiled and they filed out of the large room they all stayed in during the school year.  
  
Downstairs in the vast dining room James and his three friends were already seated. James glanced up and saw the 'clan' as his friends and he called them, otherwise known as Lily and the other five Gryffindor third-year girls. Lily glanced in his direction and they met eyes, she smiled and he quickly looked away. What had he been thinking last night? He never intended for them to become more than friends, let alone friends. She had obviously thought of him as too rich for his own good that past few years and he did not want to associate with people who judged at first glance.  
  
"What wad that 'bout" Sirius asked; his mouth full of ham dipped in plum sauce.  
  
James paused, how should he answer? The truth would be the most ideal but would give his friends the wrong idea, and he did NOT want that. "I have no clue, you now how whack Lily can be sometimes." That would have to do for the time being.  
  
After breakfast James was walking to Transfiguration by himself, his other friends had rushed on ahead to place an itching spell on Mrs. McGonagall's seat. He said it wouldn't do any good, because she never sat in it and besides the chair would be itchy, not get her itchy. But they completely ignored him and went ahead anyways. He was contemplating everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. Not even twenty-four hours, he corrected himself, more like ten. It's not like he didn't want to be her good friend, she was pretty enough he supposed, but his friends would never give him the end of it and he wanted to keep his friends' over gaining hers. "That doesn't make any sense," he laughed aloud.  
  
"What doesn't?" a voice asked from behind him. Darn it, he said silently to himself, loud mouth. Lily drew alongside him and, trying to fill in the silence, added, "That breakfast today sure was great."  
  
"Yes, I suppose it would be, if it wasn't the same as every other breakfast Hogwarts ever has in the morning," James replied. He was at much a loss for words as Lily apparently was.  
  
Lily laughed, "Yes, I guess so. I didn't know what else to say." Another long silence ensued. "Why." Lily started but then stopped.  
  
"Why what?" James asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Lily said silently. Nothing indeed, she chided herself.  
  
"Nothing indeed," James said, as if reading her thoughts. "Well, seeing as we're not friends and all, I really must run ahead to meet my friends in class." I am such a fool! He said to himself silently. Before Lily could say anything; and before he could she her pain-stricken face he rushed off towards his next class. Unfortunately the next class would also be with the girl he had so obviously insulted. 


	3. Different Identity

A/N: This will probably be quite a short story; I have no clue where this is going. Thanks Mitie Mouse for being the first to review! I hope more are to come!  
  
Disclaimer: Characters and Hogwarts, etc.. not mine. Storyline and a few of the characters are.  
  
Chapter 3: A Different Identity  
  
"Ready, Lily?" Josi asked, holding up a large vial of bluish-greenish liquid. Lily was sitting on a long, metal table in the middle of the Potions classroom.  
  
"Why are we doing this again?" Lily asked nervously. Sighing, Josi placed the vial down and looked at her friend.  
  
"Your nervous still, aren't you? I've told you time and time again that once it has completely gone into effect I'll simply give you a reversing spell and you'll be back to normal again. See? Quite simple, isn't it?"  
  
"Why are we doing this again?" Lily persisted. Another sigh escaped Josi's mouth.  
  
"Stinky Snape wants me to do a 'special' experiment for him. And.if I do.he'll reward thirty points to the Gryffindor house. So I couldn't turn him down. See? It's all for the better of the house. You can't let us down!"  
  
Why would Snape want Josi to perform an experiment like THIS? Lily silently wondered. And why did it have to be me? "All right, I'm ready," Lily said finally, still quite uncertain about the whole thing." Josi picked up the vial and handed it to Lily, who almost dropped it.  
  
"Careful!" Josi exclaimed, and made a move to try and rescue the vial. When it didn't fall she straightened up and grinned, "All you have to do is drink it, it will be a little bitter but the aftertaste has some citrus taste."  
  
With a big gulp Lily quickly shoved the contents down her throat and let out a sudden gasp. Her breaths quickened and her hands gripped the table, turning her knuckles white. "Are you okay?!" Josi exclaimed, rushing to Lily's side. Lily raised a hand and let it fall again.  
  
"Man, Josi, that stuff's strong," Lily said softly. She shook her head and stood up. "So, when's this potion going to take effect?" Lily asked. Josi didn't answer, she just pointed at one of Lily's hands. "What?" Lily raised her hand in front of her face for inspection and noticed that it was a lot leaner and longer than it had been before. "WHAT?!" Lily shrieked, rushing out of the Potions room toward the girls' bathroom down that hall. She didn't stop until she reached a mirror and in surprise clutched her face, which really wasn't hers anymore.  
  
Behind her Josi said, "I told you that you were going to turn into Eleanor Filee, didn't I? And you have, that's why you look so different."  
  
"Ya, but." Lily said, not sure what to say. She had expected it, but not really. "I guess I didn't expect the potion to actually work."  
  
"Oh, thanks," Josi said sarcastically. "Come on Lily, er. I mean Eleanor. We have to go see Snape now."  
  
"All right," Lily said, not budging from her position in front of the mirror. Eleanor really was pretty; she had defined cheek-bones and lone curly brown hair; her eyes were a piercing blue.  
  
"I meant this year."  
  
"Okay," Lily finally moved and headed towards the bathroom door. She and Josi headed down the hall towards Snape's office, Josi had to show him prove that indeed her potion had worked.  
  
"Hello? Mr. Snape?" Josi said loudly, knocking on the tall oak wood door. No answer came from within. "Hello? Mr. Snape?" Josi said a bit louder. Still nothing happened. "Oh well," Josi said, turning towards Lily. "I guess you'll just have to stay like that until we can meet up with Mr. Snape." Lily groaned. "I'm sorry! It's not like I planned this! We mine as well head up to the library, I need to do some more studying for Dark Magic."  
  
James was seated glumly in the corner desk in the library; he had to do some last minute work. He hated the library, the smell and the nerdy people that always seemed to want to help you with work that really was quite simple. Hopefully nobody sees me here, James thought, if they did they wouldn't think of me as a prankster anymore. Come to think of it, I haven't pulled any pranks on anyone lately, I've been quite down. I had a chance to with the whole McGonagall itchy chair thing (which worked after all) but hadn't believe it would work. Last year I would have jumped on the chance, but for some reason I'm different this year.  
  
The library door creaked as two people silently crept in; James glanced up and saw Josi with somebody he didn't recognize. Was it, could it be Eleanor Filee? The girl he had been crushing on for the past month? His breath quickened when she turned in his direction and smiled. He hadn't thought that she knew who he was. It's just my luck that she notices me for the first time in the library, fantastic, he thought.  
  
They headed in James' direction and his face slowly started to redden. They sat down at the table next to his, for a second he thought that that was because Eleanor might fancy him, but soon realized it was only because every other table was occupied already. Should I say something? James thought. Or should I wait for her to say something? What if she doesn't talk to me? That would be just dreadful. Well, I mine as well put in the first move. "Eleanor?" he asked, leaning his chair in his direction. She didn't answer. "Eleanor?" he repeated. James saw Josi nudge Eleanor and nod in James direction. Eleanor turned around and smiled.  
  
"Yes?" she asked. Her voice was so sweet.  
  
"Do you understand this whole divination thing?"  
  
"No, not really; I just always talk about how stars are combining and creating bad fortune for us all in the near future."  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks." That didn't go too well, James chided himself.  
  
Lily (or Eleanor, I don't know which one to use!) elbowed Josi and whispered to her, "What was that all about?"  
  
Josi laughed, and putting on her gossipy tone of voice she whispered back, "Remember, you're Eleanor, the girl he's been crushing on for the past year or so."  
  
Lily looked surprised. "Really?" She paused for a second, thinking something over. "Do you think I should tease him or something?"  
  
"Oh, you mean like pretend like Eleanor has a major jones for him? Course you should!" Josi giggled while Lily slid her seat closer to James.  
  
"Hey, James? I'm trying to study this book for our Dark Arts class but I can't seem to concentrate. Could you explain it to me, please?" She looked at James, putting on a major puppy face.  
  
James glanced over at her and his face reddened. "Umm. s-sure Eleanor. What do you want to know?"  
  
"Well, this whole werewolf thing particularly baffles me." Of course Lily knew every in and out of the 'whole werewolf thing' but so did James, and she knew it and figured he'd feel most comfortable talking about something he knew well. Turns out he enjoyed discussing it with her and for the next half hour she listened intently to him, at least it appeared so on the outside. Inside she was correcting him on particulars areas he got wrong and wondering when this torture would be over. He was a confusing boy, one night he was all flirtatious and the next day he proclaimed that they weren't even friends. This was just the punishment he needs, Lily decided. "I'm sorry," Lily interrupted. "I am still quite baffled and do you know what always clears my brain when I'm in a particularly difficult brain fuddle?"  
  
"Um." James shrugged looking as if he was in a particularly difficult brain fuddle at the time.  
  
"A walk, would you mind going with me?"  
  
"Well, my next class is in ten minutes." James paused and his face got even redder than it had before, if that was possible. "Um..sure, why not? I'll go."  
  
Lily glanced over at Josi and winked. Josi giggled and quickly returned to the large volume in front of her on the table. Lily got up and, grabbing James hand (which was clammy already) and looking at his blushing face, she started to go outside. He quickly followed her, not letting go of her petite hand.  
  
What's this all about? James asked himself. He was quite confused, his brain didn't work fast enough to realize that Eleanor might fancy him like he did her. Outside they were quiet for awhile, walking along a gravel path covered in little patches of snow that hadn't melted yet.  
  
"It's beautiful out here, isn't it?" whispered Eleanor. "It's nothing like this where I live. I wish it were though, and then I could enjoy it all year round." James glanced at her and noticed a slight grin pulling at the corners of her mouth. "What do you think of Hogwarts?" she asked him.  
  
"It's bloody brilliant," he spurted out, and mentally kicked himself, adding, "Sorry," in a slight whisper. Girl never liked it was boys said 'bloody' or 'brilliant'. For the second time in two days he realized how incompetent he was with girls, there must be some cure or spell for it. But, surprisingly, Eleanor laughed.  
  
She turned towards him and said, "Your brown eyes really are deep, as are you, I suppose."  
  
James felt him blushing and replied, "As are yours. I mean. your blue eyes." Eleanor laughed and started to lean in to kiss him when a curious thing happened; he felt her hand suddenly grow smaller and glanced down at it. Indeed it had.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked, pulling Eleanor's changed hand in front of her face so she could see it, which caused a gasp from her.  
  
"Oh no!" she exclaimed and turned to run. James heard her yell back to him, "This is OVER James Potter," causing tears to try and leave James eyes. They didn't, but James was inwardly weeping and confused. What had just happened?" 


	4. Fourth Year

A/N: I still have no clue where this story is going, not too great a thing, is it? All I know, really, is that I skipped ahead one year because I felt like everything shouldn't happen in the same week you know? It's the week of Christmas, again. Maybe I'll have L and J have a serious talk in the common room some night.  
  
Chapter 4: Fourth Years  
  
"Ha!" Lily proclaimed really loud and everybody sitting at the Gryffindor table turned to stare at her. "Sorry," she said quieter, but her smile wasn't wiped off her face.  
  
"What is it?" a girl from the same year as Lily asked from across the table.  
  
"Oh nothing, Sonya," Lily replied, obviously bluffing.  
  
"You're telling me a bloody lie!" Sonya said in a mock boys laugh, causing Lily to laugh.  
  
"That was a perfect impression! You seriously have to show that to the boys sometime."  
  
Hearing talk about them James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter yelled down the table, "What's that about us?"  
  
"Oh," Lily laughed, even more than before, "Sonya just did a bloody brilliant impression of you four!" Lily said, trying her hand at the whole impression thing but not succeeding.  
  
"Well, you didn't bloody well do a good job. Sonya might have, but you certainly didn't," James said. Every since last year they had been on a sort of odd speaking terms. Some days they wouldn't glance at each other, others they would smile and talk cordially, and even others they would laugh and kid each other around. Today was obviously one of the latter days. Their whole relationship confused Lily quite a bit, and often times she told herself that they wouldn't ever reach the point of being consistent friends, and she also said quietly to herself that she preferred it that way. Her friends tried pushing their relationship forward, especially since one or two of them were considering James' other three friends to be worthy of a date to a dance or something of the kind. Elizabeth had already gone with Sirius to Hogsmeade, which was the equivalent to a date at Hogwarts.  
  
Josi elbowed her and said, "Anyways," in mock anger glancing at the prank pulling boys, "What were you laughing at."  
  
"Well," Lily said, laughing as she remembered what had caused the whole ruckus. "I just got an owl from my eight-year-old sister, Petunia."  
  
"Hold it a second, Petunia?" Elizabeth asked butting in. "Isn't that the very same sister that hates animals and anything to do with wizarding? Or has she suddenly sprouted a twin sister who wants to follow in your foot- steps?"  
  
"It's one and the same sister, and that's not the hilarious part, she sent a letter along with the owl," Lily said, pulling out a piece of Muggle ruled paper. "I'll read it to you: Dear Lily, as much as I hate writing to you like this, with an owl and to the dreadful school you attend.see?" Lily added, away from her sister's note. "It really is her; anyways..I must tell you that I've met a new boy at my school and must tell you that we intend to marry when we're older. His name's Vernon Dursley, so now you have a soon-to-be brother-in-law. And, just to inform you, he's as much a hater of magic as I am, although he doesn't fully believe me that my sister attends a school for witchcraft, but he'll soon get over his idea of me as a poppy cock, at least I hope so. Well, I really must go now. Toodaloo!" Lily started cracking up again, joined by the other fourth-year girls.  
  
"That's really a hoot," another girl named Kivrin said. "Who would have thought?"  
  
"I wonder if Vernon thinks the same of her," Sonya said.  
  
"At least he is somewhat like you, Lily, he thinks Petunia a poppy-cock," said Elizabeth. The rest of the girls added more comments amidst laughter. This will be a great day, Lily said to herself, I just know it.  
  
A/N: I know this is short, but it's kind of a prologue to the fourth year, I guess. I'll add another chapter soon! Parents are rushing to leave, so I guess I'd better go. 


	5. The Journal

Chapter 5: The Journal  
  
It was two days before Christmas and Lily was worried, she didn't know what about, but she was too worried to sleep. Silently she slipped past her friends' beds and padded down the stairs towards the common room. The fire roared with a flick of her wrist and she settled down in the same couch James had found her sleeping in almost exactly a year ago. Lily smiled at the memory, that night had been sweet, although not much had been said and then the next day James had been simply infuriating. I need to talk to him, Lily said to herself. We need to straighten this whole thing out; it's getting too darn confusing. Like I said before, their relationship was an odd one. Most of the time Lily hated James, but when he smiled at her, she felt her hatred melt and she smiled back. It was an odd relationship, indeed. She lay down on the couch and her head hit something sharp and hard. Curious she grabbed it, from the feel of it; it was a nicely bound leather book. "Lumos!" she said, pointing her wand at it. The first thing she saw was the word JOURNAL in mock gold. "How beautiful," she whispered and opened it. With a gasp she turned page after page, reading the ultimate secrets of the most confusing boy that she knew. One entry in particular threw her off.  
  
December 27th, my third year I told you yesterday about the whole thing between Lily and I two nights ago, right? Well, I hope I did because the whole thing was a complete blunder. It felt just right at the time, but when she smiled at me and ran up to me in the hall, I wasn't so sure. I had to do something, but saying, ".since we're not friends." Ugh, Potter! I swear, you don't know what to say to girls, you really do NOT have a knack in their genre, or whatever! Last year when some cute Hufflepuff asked me to the Masquerade Ball I yelled at her for wanting to go with someone not in her house, and then I ended up going with a Ravenclaw. Of course the Hufflepuff came over and gave me an awful time, not that it wasn't justified or anything. With Lily, though, I'm awfully confused. I want to be nice to her, but for some reason I'm not. It's eleven o' clock, so I guess I better be going to better, good night.  
  
Lily looked up from the book, how odd. He felt exactly the same way she felt about him. Things can change over a year, though, she told herself, so you better read on. Smiling, she read about his infatuation with Elizabeth. Oh funny, that must be why he's so nice to me sometimes, to try and get through to Elizabeth. "Well, now I have something to tease him about," Lily whispered aloud. "If it ever comes out that I read his journal, which I think it might be good if it did."  
  
December 16th, my fourth year Today was one of Lily's and my good days. We had to sit next to each other in Charms and I accidentally made little bubbles come out of Severus Snape's mouth (we have the class with the fourth-year Slytherins). The rest of the class Lily and I were cracking up. I felt good, laughing together. She's so pretty when she laughs, not so much when she's mad. It's funny; in an odd sort of way, when she gets mad at me I imagine a huge dragon blowing fire. Once in awhile I make the mistake of laughing when she's mad and then she gets even madder, and the dragon grows. I wish we could be better friends... Good night.  
  
Again Lily sat back and paused for awhile. Again, she realized, they had the same feelings. They both wanted to be better friends. Smiling, she placed the journal back where she found it and fell asleep.  
  
*I'll add more later! 


End file.
